Sidelines
by ShannonL
Summary: A short but sweet vignette from the Crest of Friendship involving a brotherly relationship. No, not Tk and Matt or Tai and Kari. You'll have to read it to find out. *PLEASE read Author's notes at beginning, please...*


Hi guys ~ gives little wave to Aquarius and Kyra ~ its been awhile, hasn't it?

Ok this fic takes place during the Crest of Friendship, and to quickly sum it up; it's about Izzy's thoughts during the battle between Tai and Piedmon. To everybody who's reading this, just so there's absolutely no misunderstanding, this is NOT yaoi or shounen – ai or slash or…I think you get the picture. This is friendship and brotherly love at its deepest. You know; the kind of feelings Matt and TK share or Tai and Kari. Something about this particular episode intrigued me so much I had to write this, even though I've been trying to deny it for almost a year. Izzy might be outta character here, but still, this is a very emotionally charged situation here and I might be able to get away with it. Also there's one small hint of Mishiro in here.

Eep! Nearly forgot about this. ~ Gets disapproving looks from lawyers ~ I don't own Digimon, that pleasure belongs to Toei, Saban, and Bandai. Happy now? ~ Gets reluctant nods ~ Whew!

All flames, as always, will be fed to my furnace. 

**_Sidelines_**

By ShannonL 

"… Why won't you let me fight?!"

I'm stuck here on the sidelines, while my best friend and his Digimon are being thoroughly trashed by Piedmon. The situation here is _absolutely_ infuriating. He doesn't ask for help, he just stubbornly fights on, even though he doesn't have a hope in Hades in winning. Am I being overly pessimistic? Not when the odds and I both agree on which way this is going to go. I'm screaming mentally again and again at Tai, the force of the anguish of watching him do this, is ripping everything inside me to little bloody tatters. _This is intolerable!_

__

Doesn't he realize he cannot do this alone? Doesn't he realize no one can do this alone? It's the truth. We need each other.

I have to battle back bitter tears, feel their acid sting at the corners of my eyes, as WarGreymon receives another blow from the Trump Swords of the Dark Emperor. Tai reels as he absorbs blast after blast of unadulterated agony from the suffering WarGreymon, each jolt transmitted over the unique psychic link shared by each bonded Digidestined and Digimon. A gasp is heard as Tai nearly falls over, the assault of pain almost triumphing over weakened flesh and spirit. And yet…he fights on. Despite everything Piedmon throws at him, he fights on. I find myself admiring his courage, and his strength, and wanting a little of it myself. _And still I'm stuck here, helpless, on the sidelines. Utterly useless. Matt's not here; he won't arrive until it's too late and Tai's dead. If he arrives at all. Can't think that; I have to have hope! Even if there's little to go around._

Battered and bruised to the point of no recognition, WarGreymon and Tai are barely standing, yet standing proud, defiant to the evil monarch. I can see that defiance won't do much, they are injured to the point where one well placed attack would mean we'd need to search the personals for a new leader. For all the strength and power Tai and WarGreymon wield, it's not enough. Courage is not enough; it needs Friendship, Love, Knowledge, Sincerity, Reliability, Hope and Light by its side, to temper it, to make it far stronger than it ever could be alone.

_Tai, please let us help you. Please let **me** help you. Don't leave us hanging here on the sidelines. Please no!_

Ok, I admit it; I love him. But it's not the love you're thinking of, the kind of love shared between lovers, and husbands and wives. It's not the kind of love I feel for Mimi. It's the kind of love that digs deep in your soul, keeps you warm and safe and protected. It's the kind of love that stands up and takes a beating for you, even though it rather be playing soccer. It's the love of family. Unbreakable, unshatterable. 

Sacred. 

He is my brother, even if we do not share an ounce of blood. The bond between us is just as deep, if not deeper. We here are all family, Digimon and Digidestined, even if we don't all realize it at first. It doesn't matter if we are not even of the same species. It never has, and it never will. Where we came from and where we'll end up is ultimately the same. And it is killing me inside that it has come down to _this_. To _this_!

I think Tai realizes this. He looks at us, at _me_, at times, with such pride and love, it takes everything I've got to keep the thin thread of control over my emotions from snapping like a cheap toothpick. He's doing this for us…. For me…. He's dying for me…

But I can't watch him die, slowly and painfully, while that I'm stuck here looking on, unable to do anything. It's too cruel…for both of us.

A cold, cackling laugh shatters the silence. Piedmon is laughing at us. Laughing at our weakness, at the cruel fact that we're helpless little kids from another world, lost on the battlefield, and not facing some common schoolyard bully. I glare in fiery outrage at those soulless crimson eyes. They sadistically stare back at me, as if saying "You're next, and I am _so_ going to enjoy our little playdate together." Damn those eyes! He may be a Mega Digimon, but his eyes are those of the kid who steals little children's lunch money and beats them to an inch of their lives, and doesn't even care about the consequences resulting. In the simplest of terms, he is the schoolyard bully every kid lives in fear from. Now where's a teacher when you need one the most, huh?

_I hate him!_ The thought echoes around in my head in a voice barely recognizable as my own. The feeling is black and seething as the cancerous tumor of my spite grows within me, corrupting my very soul. The rage boils up inside me, scars me, and leaves me an empty husk. It frightens me, this dark power; I don't want to be this way! I want my innocence back!

"Leave me be!" I pleaded softy to the still air. But it didn't go. It couldn't go. For every life Piedmon has taken, for every drop of suffering he has brewed, for every tear he made fall, hate refuses to let me go. 

I'm sure you've all heard the saying "If you stare into the abyss long enough, the abyss stares back." Does that mean if I hate Piedmon long enough, I'll become just as hateful and evil as him? I couldn't live with myself if it was. I don't want to become a monster. I don't want to become _him_! I'd kill myself first!

"Clown Trick!"

__

Oh. My. GOD!

He's down.

Courage has fallen.

Metallic bits of shattered armor belonging to WarGreymon sparkle as they fly through the air and hit against the Dark Emperor's chest, as he gives an arrogant sneer. We can only gawk in disbelief. It is over. Piedmon _won_. Tai lost. And we're next. My heart tears itself to pieces, as Tai feebly crawls a few paces and collapses. He then calls out to WarGreymon, assuring him that he's coming, pleading with him to hold on. I stifle a ragged sob. _Tai…. why?_ Even lying there, he still won't give up...And neither will I. I prepare myself for what's ahead and begin to step forwards, out of the sidelines and into the fray.

I won't let Tai die.

Suddenly footfalls, soft at first, then rising to a thundering roar, approach from behind while the sharp, wild cry of a _very_ large bird, makes even Piedmon hesitate for a moment. I feel my spirits rise in hope, and Tai confirms my wildest dreams.

"Matt…I'd knew you'd come…"

And not just Matt. Joe, Sora and Tk too. Each of them stares in horror at the terrible scene unfolding before them. Each of them with tears in their eyes as they see what has become of Tai. Matt races over and cradles him in his arms, careful not to worsen Tai's already serious injuries. They both apologize to each other; I can't hear very well since they're speaking softly, but what I do hear gives me cause to smile. Things that were broken are finally mended, and the once warring enemies are now the best of friends. I know at this moment that the relationship between those two will never be the same again. No, never the same, only so much stronger than before…

All my thoughts are vaporized when the Crest of Friendship reacts to Matt's anguish to Tai's plight and blinds everyone in with a dazzling blue light. When it clears, there's WarGreymon, standing tall and proud like some ancient, invincible god of war. His restored armor gleams in the faint holy glow that cloaks him and his eyes portrays nothing less than the epitome of courage itself. Even Piedmon seems in awe of this, as the boastful jester is uncharacteristically silent.

And…Tai? Not a scratch can be seen. Like his Digimon, he is completely healed.

Matt and Tai rush back to us to prepare for the final battle while Gabumon warp-digivolves into MetalGarurumon to assist WarGreymon in taking down a rather irritated clown who simply does not like to be kept waiting for anything or anybody. He snickers a bit, like he's got some dirty trick up his sleeve. 

Which Piedmon probably does…

It doesn't matter now really. We'll come out on top somehow, that I am sure of. I don't know how I know, but that's the way it's going to be, and who am I to argue with me? One thing's for certain however. My time waiting on the sidelines is over.

It's time for me to make a difference too.

The End.

Now what did you think of that? No really, what do you think of it? I'm trying a new style of writing and I need your comments. I hope nobody found anything offensive in the fic, I'm not trying to insult anybody here. Well that's all for now, I think. I'll have the next act of Balance up sometime in December and maybe a few poems before that but we'll see.

Ciao

ShannonL


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